1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a transactional control system and more particularly, but not byway of limitation, to an improved method of making transaction card assemblies wherein each transaction card assembly includes a piece of reusable, printable tape that can be removed from the transaction card assembly and applied to an application form.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
A substantial market has developed in recent years for inexpensively manufactured, individually encoded, transaction cards which are used as credit and debit cards, membership cards, promotional cards, I.D. cards, and the like. Such transaction cards commonly bear a registration code in the format of a bar code to permit machine scanning of the card, an alphanumeric code, or both. Such cards may be supplied as a set with one or more labels adjoining the card and bearing the same individual code number as the card. The labels are adapted for attachment to application forms, membership lists and the like.
One problem with the above system is that the manufacturing process to provide such sets requires many steps. For example, one process known in the art is a multiple step process in which individual sheets of uniquely encoded transaction cards, and labels with the same unique codes as the cards, are printed separately. Subsequently, the labels with appropriate codes are attached to each sheet adjoining the like-coded cards. Thus, the process requires several labor intensive steps including identifying the appropriate label, applying the label to the sheet to properly adjoin the associated card, and checking the final product for accuracy. In addition, because the transaction card and labels must be printed separately, if the same printer is used to print the transaction card and the labels, more printing time is required. Alternatively, several printers must be used to simultaneously print the card and labels.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved transaction card assembly and method of making same which reduces the number of steps and thus the costs associated with making the transaction card assembly. It is to such an improved transaction card assembly and method that the present invention is directed.